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By N. A. Gokcen, J. Chipman

A revised treatment of the authors' published data eliminates the complex relation previously proposed between concentration of silicon and activity coefficient of oxygen in liquid iron. Revised values of the thermodynamic properties of the liquid solution are presented. IN a recent experimental study of the reaction SiO2 (s) = Si+ 2O; Kf, = [% Si] [% O]² [1] the authors' found a substantially constant equilibrium product in liquid iron at 1600°C of 2.8x10-5 They also reported extensive data on the reactions: SiO2 (s) + 2H2 (8) = Si- + 2H2O (g); K'2= [% Si] (H2O/H2 [2] and H, (g) + 0 = H2O (g); K'3 =( H2 O [31 (H2) [%O] From the results on reaction 3 and earlier data of Dastur² on this same reaction in the absence of silicon, they determined the activity coefficient of oxygen, f0, on the basis of the definition K3 = (H2O)/ (H2)f0 [% 0] where K, is the equilibrium constant and f0, is taken as unity in the pure Fe-0 system. Similarly values of fsi were deduced from results on reaction 2. In a more recent study" of analogous reactions in the system Fe-A1-0, it was found impossible to reconcile the results on reaction 3 with Dastur's data; accordingly the latter were ignored and the equilibrium results were extrapolated to find a value of K, at zero concentration of aluminum. This procedure failed to locate the cause of the discrepancy but it did yield reasonable values of activity coefficients. It also avoided introduction of the complex empirical relation between the oxygen activity coefficient and the concentration of the added element. The same type of discrepancy exists for system Fe-Si-0.' In the earlier paper an attempt was made to fit both sets of data by a single curved line (Fig. 6 of ref. l), the form of which is contrary to the theoretical requirement of a finite slope at infinite dilution. In the light of experience on the Fe-A1-0 system the discrepancy must be recognized as one which can be resolved only by more refined measurements. Accordingly Figs. 6 and 10 are retracted. It is pointed out also that until the discrepancy is resolved Figs. 7, 8, and 11 are subject to some uncertainty. Qualitatively the following conclusions still appear valid: 1—The activity coefficient of oxygen is reduced by addition of silicon. 2—In dilute solutions the activity coefficient of silicon increases with its concentration. 3—With respect to equilibrium in reaction 1, the above effects are approximately compensating. The discussion of K'1 in the previous paper requires no revision. It was pointed out that the constancy of the product [% Si] [% 0]² ndicated a compensating effect of the activity coefficients of silicon and oxygen. Therefore, as a very good approximation, K1 = K'1 and the following average values are suggested both for K, and K', at the temperatures 1550°, 1600°, and 1650", respectively, 1.0x10-", 2.8~10-" and 5.5 ~lo-'. Revision of the thermodynamic treatment is necessitated by the recent appearance of new data, based on a combination of combustion and solution calorimetry,' which yields for the heat of formation of low-cristobalite from the elements, the value —209,330 ±250 cal per mol at 25°C. This is about 4000 cal larger than the value previously accepted. The new value for cristobalite is used, together with Kelley's tables of high-temperature heat contents" and entropies and with Korber and Oelsen's' heat of fusion of silicon to obtain the following equation for the standard free energy of cristobalite in the temperature range 1700" to 2000°K: Si (1) + 02 (g) = Si02 (crist.); ?F° = -217,700 + 47.OT [4] The free energy of solution of 0, in liquid iron is:8 O2 (g) = 20 (in Fe); AF° = -55,860 - 1.14T [5] and these two equations are combined to give: Si (1) + 20 = SiO, (crist.); AF° = -161,840 + 48.14T [6] ?F°1873 = -71,700 cal. From the experimental value of K, = 2.8x10-5, Si + 20 = SiO2 (crist.); ?F°1873 = -39,000 cal. [7] The combination of Eqs. 6 and 7 yields the free energy change when liquid silicon dissolves in iron to form the dilute solution of unit activity (1 pct). Si (1) = Si; ?F°1873 = -32,700 cal. [8] The heat effect in this process according to Korber and Oelsen' is an evolution of 28,500 cal per gram

Jan 1, 1954

By Edward H. Robie

SHOULD the name of our Institute be changed? Perhaps one should say, should it again be changed, for until 1919 the name was the American Institute of Mining Engineers. When the American Institute of Metals joined our ranks we became the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers. To make it a full mouthful, and strictly legal, one should add the word "Incorporated." At the June meeting of the Board of Directors it was suggested that this name was not a particularly happy one, especially so far as members of the Petroleum Branch, comprising a quarter of our membership, were concerned-not particularly appropriate as the name for the professional society for petroleum engineers. Apart from the petroleum group, the present name is felt by some not to be sufficiently comprehensive. Most geologists and many metallurgists, ceramists, and fuel technologists, for instance, are not engineers. They could never qualify as registered professional engineers under the licensing laws and yet they are valued and fully qualified Members of the AIME. The Directors, at the June meeting, thought the idea of a change in name should be presented to the membership for discussion, and suggested this column as the avenue of approach. Nine years ago Dean Steidle, of Penn State, recommended among other things that the name of the Institute be changed to "American Institute of Mineral Technologists and Engineers." In an editorial in Mining and Metallurgy in January 1944 objection was offered to this name but "American Institute of Mineral Engineers" was suggested. A special committee appointed by the Board to review Dean Steidle's suggestions (W. B. Heroy was Chairman) suggested that if the AIME were starting from scratch, the American Institute of Mineral Engineers might be a preferred name. It was not thought that the change suggested by Dean Steidle was one of major importance, and the comment was made that "the present name has gained prestige through many years and is cherished by our membership. An important element of 'good will' is attached to it and some of this would be unquestionably sacrificed by any change." In M&M for February 1945, Oliver C. Ralston went into the derivation of the terms mineralogy and metallurgy, and pointed out that both Mining and Metallurgical mean "digging," etymologically. He went on to show, with tongue in cheek, that if we want a short and all-inclusive name it should be American Institute of Geo-urgists, or, for euphony, Geolurgists. Oliver's brilliant development seems to have been received with speechless wonder! Should a decision ever be made to change the name, we think most members will agree that the American Institute of Mineral Engineers is to be preferred over anything yet suggested. "Mineral" has become, through usage, a much broader term than is indicated in the dictionary. Webster states that a mineral, in the true sense, must be inorganic, but Murray's Oxford English Dictionary seems more liberal, defining "mineral" as "any substance which is obtained by mining; a product of the bowels of the earth;" and "mineral oil" as any oil of mineral origin, as petroleum or shale oil. Certainly "the mineral industry" is ordinarily taken to include those activities based upon processing all the metallic and nonmetallic ores and deposits found in the ground, including the fuels. One advantage of this title is that the familiar abbreviation, "AIME" need not be changed. The advisability of maintaining a well-known abbreviation is evident, and was recognized, for instance, when the Committee for Industrial Organization became the Congress of Industrial Organizations some years ago. But if the petroleum engineers are the ones to be chiefly considered in revising the name of the Institute, it is by no means certain that they would feel that they are much more adequately recognized in a group of Mineral Engineers than in a society of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers. 'And then there remain, of course, the considerable number of professional members of the Institute who are not engineers at all. Comment from readers is invited.

Jan 1, 1952

By C. E. Shoenfelt

The most important development in an otherwise colorless year in Colorado oil fields was the completion, late in 1933, of a well on Iles dome on the western slope of Colorado, with an initial production of 1100 bbl. of oil. No great amount of activity beyond the drilling of necessary offset wells is to be expected as a result of the completion of a well of this size because the acreage on Iles dome is closely held; there is no pipe line outlet other than to the Texas Company's small refinery at Craig, 24 miles distant; and the market for the oil is limited to the demands of sparsely settled communities in the high mountains. The Iles field is located on a large dome developed in Mancos shale of Cretaceous age, and having a closure of approximately 400 ft. The structure is highly faulted on the southern end. The first commercial oil well on this dome was completed by the Midwest Refining Co. on the south side of sec. 22-4N.-92W. Oil of 37" gravity was developed in Nancos shale at 2560 ft. and water in the Dakota sandstone at 2630 ft., but a considerable amount of additional oil was found in the shale immediately overlying the Dakota. From 2630 ft., the well produced in 16 hr. 750 bbl. of fluid, 33 per cent of which was water. Production in the Sundance sand of Jurassic age was found in the Midwest Refining Company's No. 4 Parkinson, in the NE.-SW.-SE. of sec. 22-4N.-92W., and completed on the last day of the year 1926, for an initial production of 450 bbl. of oil at a total depth of 3242 ft. The well completed in 1933 is also a Sundance sand producer and was finished at a depth of 3447 ft. It extends the productive area of the field about a quarter of a mile cast. The Iles field is said to have a potential production of 5000 bbl. of oil a day from its present wells, but for the past year has been held at about 600 bbl. a day. The most important test, stratigraphically, ever drilled on the western slope of Colorado is the California Company's No. 1 Raven, NW.-SE. of sec. 30-2N.-102W., which had an initial production of 138 bbl. of oil of 32" gravity, in the Weber formation (Pennsylvanian) between 5750 to 6315 ft. It mas drilled to 7137 ft., probably near the base of the Weber, and then plugged back to 6315 ft. It was shot quite heavily with nitro-glycerin, but failed to respond. While the well can hardly be classified

Jan 1, 1934

By E. H. Citron

CLEANING fine coal in jigs is not new in Europe, where the feldspar jig is being used almost exclusively for this purpose. A feldspar jig operates with an artificial bed made up generally of feldspar or other hard rock material. Dimensions and specific gravity of this material must be of suitable values for good bedding qualities. For good efficiency, the size should range between 1x2 in. and 2x2x1/2 in. thick.

Jan 4, 1958

B. S. and E. M. from the School of Mines at Socorro, New Mexico, in May, 1912. Immediately after graduating, he began as a practical miner in the U. S. mines at Bingham, Utah, but in November, 1912, he entered the operating department of the Chino Copper Co.'s concentrator at Hurley, New Mexico, where he stayed until July, 1913. During the latter half of 1913, he was employed as chemist in the laboratory of the El Paso smelter, at El Paso, Texas. In December, 1913, he became engineer and geologist with the Empire Zinc Co., at Socorro, New Mexico, which position he held at the time of his admission to the Institute in 1914, and until he entered the army in June, 1918. Before beginning the study of mining, Mr. Ringlund had completed a course in pharmacy, which accounts for his enlisting in the Medical Corps. Lieutenant George Roper, Jr. George Roper, Jr., a Junior Member of the Institute, was killed in an aeroplane accident near Shotwich, England, on Play 25, 1918. He was born at Steubenville, Ohio, in 1893, and at the time of his admi~sion to the Institute in 1916 was a student in mining and metallurgy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, Mass., from which he received the degree of S. B. in June, 1917. In August, 1917, he enlisted in the Royal Flying Corps, and after preliminary training on this side of the water, was sent to England. He was making the final cross-country flight of his course of training when the accident occurred.

Jan 1, 1920

President Mrs. Herman A. Prosser 1001 Park Avenue New York 28, N. Y First Vice-President Mrs. David E Park 115 East 67th Street New York 22, N Y. Second Vice-President Mrs Oliver Bowles 5000 Massachusetts Ave , N W. Wash 16, D C Third Vice-President Mrs. H Bobinson Plate 1215 Vancouver Avenue Burlingame, Calif

Jan 1, 1952

New York LOUIS D. HUNTOON, Chairman. ARTHUR S. DWIGHT, Vice-Chairman. THOMAS T. READ, Secretary, Woolworth Bldg., New York, N. Y. E. MALTBY SHIPP, Treasurer. GEORGE F. KUNZ, W. De L. BENEDICT. Boston ROBERT H. RICHARDS, Chairman. ALBERT SAUVEUR, Vice-Chairman. AUGUSTUS H. EUSTIS, Secretary-Treasurer, 131 State St., Boston. Mass. TIMOTHY W. SPRAGUE, HENRY A. WENTWORTH.

Jan 1, 1917

By W. Spencer Hutchinson

It is the purpose of this paper to describe a method used to determine the corundum contents of samples of hard crystalline gneiss containing both corundum and red garnet. A chemical analysis of the rock for alumina would not fix the amount of corundum became at least three other constituent minerals of the rock, mica, feldspar, and garnet, contain alumina combined with silica. Following are the principal minerals found in the samples, together with their specific gravity and hardness as given by Dana: The corundum occurred in crystals of a gray or bluish gray color, in minute grains and coarser up to 0.5 in., and no massive or block corundum was observed. The larger crystals were commonly quite slender, well defined, and the normal hexagonal form clearly developed. They lay with the structural planes of the gneiss, and sometimes appeared prominently in relief on weathered surfaces. In some cases these crystals had suffered partial or total alteration to mica, margarite, or other soft minerals, a condition illustrated by sample D, which appeared to be studded abundantly with corundum on the flat faces. Garnet, a striking feature of nearly all the samples, was present in small rounded crystals of a pink to red color. The samples were first broken to pass a No. 4 mesh screen. This was done with a hammer on an iron plate, particular care being taken to avoid the breaking of the crystals finer than need be to pass the screen. A portion of the sample weighing 500 g. was then taken and, with a little water added, was scoured round and round in an iron bucket with a wooden block, until the coarse crystals of corundum were cleaned of adhering pieces of mica. The bucket was then re-

Jan 1, 1914

By C. P. Miller

In order to determine the usefulness of geochemical and biogeochemical prospecting for nickel, ten localities representing several types of nickel occurrences were selected as sites from which to collect plant and soil samples. This report covers the investigations in two of the areas. After a brief geologic description of the areas, the author presents details of the experimental tests and resulting data. Conclusions drawn from the studies led to several general guides for further prospecting. In a study of the usefulness of geochemical and biogeochemical prospecting for nickel made about three years ago, approximately ten localities, representing several different types of nickel occurrences, were sampled and about 1500 samples of plant and soil were collected. This report will cover briefly the data and results for two areas, and a summary of guides for prospecting. DESCRIPTION OF AREAS SAMPLED One locality is the Red Flats nickel prospect in Curry County, Ore., about six miles southeast of Goldbeach, and the other is the Little Rocky Creek prospect in Stillwater County, southcentral Montana, just southeast of the Benbow chromite mine. The Oregon area is a lateritic-type nickel deposit formed on a nickel-rich serpentinite peridotite complex, similar to the Josephine intrusion in southwestern Oregon. The Montana area is a nickel prospect in norite, peridotite, and related rocks of the Stillwater igneous complex. The Stillwater complex is a series of layered basic and ultrabasic rocks, with a layer of norite-gabbro at the base and a series of peridotites and gabbros above. The nickel in the Oregon deposit occurs in both the peridotite and the overlying soil. A deep lateritic soil is developed locally on the peridotite and serpentinite and constitutes the ore. The average nickel content of the lateritic soil is less than 1 pct, whereas the nickel content of the weathered peridotite is about 1 to 1.5 pct. The nickel occurs as garnierite (Mg, Fe, Ni, Mn)3 (OH)4 (SiA1)2O5 in the soil and in the olivine and pyroxene in the peridotite where it probably substitutes for Fe2+ or Mg2+ in the silicate lattices. Nickel is found in three distinct ways in the Still-water rocks: 1) it is in the olivine and pyroxene minerals in norite, harzburgite, etc.; 2) it occurs as widely disseminated grains of pentlandite-pyr-rhotite, which tend to be concentrated in the lower norite band; and 3) it occurs as discrete bodies of pentlandite-pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite which are localized in the norite zone, close to the contact with the underlying rocks. The nickel content of the norite is probably less than 1 pct, and the nickel content of the pods and lenses within the norite is about 1 pct. PROSPECTING APPROACH Although the areas are different geologically, the approach in prospecting them is fundamentally the same. The procedure is twofold: 1) a rapid reconnaissance survey to outline an area of high nickel content, and 2) a more detailed survey to outline zones of possible ore grade within the area of high nickel. The possible ore at Red Flats is concentrated in the lateritic soil, whereas at Little Rocky Creek it is in the sulfide pods. Both types are surrounded by an area of relatively high nickel content. CHEMICAL ANALYSIS Chemical analyses of nickel were made by a di-methylglyoxime colorimetric test, similar to the standard test for nickel, utilizing concentrated sul-furic acid for extraction. The lower limit of detection for nickel in soil by the method used was about 10 ppm and for nickel in plants about 5 ppm. The relative deviation was about 25 pct. SOIL PROSPECTING General Statements: A summary of the approximate average parts per million of nickel in soil, as compiled from the literature and from my study, is given in Table I. Selected references are given at the end of the paper. Few of the investigators reported the type of extraction or analysis, so the data given may not be strictly comparable to mine, which were made with a sulfuric acid extraction. Any nickel concentration greater than these average values might be considered anomalous, although each area must be studied in relation to the surrounding rocks. Method of Soil Sampling: The soil samples were taken in a zone from 1 in. to 1 ft below the humus layer, and within a 15-ft radius around a station.

Jan 1, 1961

By Frank A. Wilder

The most important process in a gypsum mill is calcining the crude mineral. There seems, however, to be little progress or change in calcining methods. This would not be surprising if the industry was not, in other ways, developing. The demand for gypsum in its various forms, however, is growing rapidly. The output has more than doubled in six years, while the value of gypsum products, through the introduction of higher priced. specialties like wall board, has nearly trebled in the same period. In other industries, under somewhat similar conditions, calcining in rotating cylinders, either by direct or indirect heat, has replaced the method that still prevails in gypsum mills. Efforts were made to use rotary calciners in manufacturing plaster of Paris in the early days of the industry in America; 25 years ago rotary calciners were in use in Germany. At that time there was great diversity of opinion in regard to their merit. In 1923, the output of calcined gypsum in the United States was 3,101,378 tons. About nine-tenths of this material was calcined in kettles, the remainder in rotary calciners. The ratio was about the same 10 years ago. During these 10 years, rotary calcining made relatively no gains, and there were no important changes in the construction of kettles. In their manipulation, the only change of consequence was in connection with the length of time that the gypsum is left in the kettle. For wall-plaster purposes, all producers who had not previously done so changed from second-settled to first-settled calcined gypsum, thereby reducing production costs and improving the plasticity and sand-carrying capacity of their plaster. Nevertheless, in the few mills in which they were installed, rotary calciners continue to operate, with possibly one or two exceptions, and to be highly successful. In these 10 years, the Cummer type of rotary calciner has disappeared. All rotaries now used are of the cement-mill type with a diameter of 6 or 7 ft. and length of 80 to 120 feet.

Jan 1, 1925

By Walter E. Mingramm

THE construction of rescue-apparatus on the principle of furnishing the wearer with air from a tank containing it under high pressure was given up by inventors about 20 years ago. Such an apparatus must supply continuously, for not less than two hours, nearly 50 liters of pure air at atmospheric pressure per minute, or a total of 6,000 liters (210 cu. ft.); and a cylinder containing this amount of air, under 2,000 lb. pressure, would weigh 180 lb. or more. Although apparatus has been recently constructed utilizing liquified air, no experiments have been made to determine the regularity with which the air is generated, nor has its chemical composition been determined. Moreover, the chief objection to such an apparatus is the' difficulty and cost of keeping on hand a large quantity of liquified air. The system of furnishing the wearer of a breathing-apparatus with air which has given the best results, and has found employment in all the devices now in practical use, is that in which the air contained in the human lungs at the beginning of the work is regenerated by the apparatus. By means of chemicals, such as caustic potash and caustic soda, the carbonic acid gas, CO., exhaled is absorbed, and the oxygen that has been consumed is replaced from a tank containing this gas under high pressure. The pressure of the oxygen (which is 1,875 lb. in the two cylinders at the beginning of the work) is automatically reduced to 75 lb., and is sufficient to keep the air inside of the apparatus in constant circulation, and to force it to pass through the chemicals provided for the absorption of the CO, gas. In the attempt to construct an apparatus which would (1) furnish the wearer with a sufficient supply of air; (2) replace the amount of oxygen used up by the lungs during the time of

Jan 7, 1908

By E. A. Has, E. Mcl. Tittmann

Double roasting of sinter carrying a high percentage of lead concentrates, gave rise to the problem of removing the sheets of metallic lead formed in the wind boxes. The solution of the problem has been found in the water sealed wind boxes. The metallic lead is granulated and can be removed without seriously interfering with the operation of the machine and eliminates necessity of men going in wind boxes with air guns. THE practice of double sintering the charge for lead blast furnaces, which is now standard throughout the lead smelting industry, has introduced the rather difficult problem of cleaning the wind boxes on sintering machines used for the final pass. Two factors have more recently accentuated this problem: (1) the growing demand of workmen for better working conditions and less arduous labor, and (2) the growing dearth of crude lead ores and the improved grade of lead concentrates demand a charge carrying the maximum percentage of lead. One to 2 pct of such high lead charges (30 to 40) when processed on machines in reasonably good condition will pass through the grates and report in the wind boxes. One-half to three-quarters of this material will be metallic lead reduced by the coke breeze or other fuel mixed with the charge. This lead forms large cakes or chunks which are hard to remove and which substantially increase the time the machine is out of operation for cleaning the wind boxes. A high lead fall can reduce the operating time 30 pct. As a specific example, a 30 ft machine having 63 in. pallets, and equipped with three conventional wind boxes, requires 3 to 4 hr per day for removing the accumulation in the wind boxes when operated as a final pass machine. This same machine when operated on raw charge requires less than an hour per day for cleaning. To eliminate formation of large chunks of lead in the wind boxes of the final pass machines and time lost in cleaning the boxes, R. C. Rutherford of the Chihuahua smelter of the American Smelting and Refining Co., devised and patented* a wind box having a water bath to granulate the lead as it falls from the grate bars. Later, C. H. Harris of the San Luis plant made and patentedt an improvement on Rutherford's device in which the water bath seals the wind box in a manner permitting the latter to be readily cleaned without destroying the vacuum. The first machine to our knowledge to use the water bath box was at the Chihuahua plant along the lines of the Rutherford patent. In 1942, a machine was placed in operation at the El Paso plant which incorporated the features of both Rutherford and Harris. This machine is 40 ft long equipped with pallets 63 x 24 in., and having 4 wind boxes 10 ft 4 in. x 7 ft 2 in. x 51 ft 3 in. in size (fig. 1). The air from the fourth box is returned to the first three, and the gas from the first three discharged to a baghouse. The machine has conventional drive, discharge hopper,

Jan 1, 1951

By J. A. Jr. Church

I. EARLY FURNACES. . COPPER blast-furnace construction in America has long recognized a general standard in the rectangular water-jacketed shaft with separate forehearth. The details, however, and especially those relating to shaft dimensions, have had to meet a great variety of conditions, and show no uniformity whatever. Selecting a few of the present day Western plants, we find furnace lengths varying from 12.5 to 87 ft., widths at tuyere level from 42 to 84 in., and heights above tuyeres from 5 ft. 4 in. to 22 ft. 4 in. ; and comparing present designs with those of the past, we meet contrasts no less striking. Unlike its transverse section, the length of a furnace has come to depend rather on the size of unit desired than on the requirements of smelting ; and if the question of length be ignored, several of the various existing designs can be grouped together on the basis of a common transverse section. This section, having a width at tuyere level of 56 in. and a height above tuyeres of 18, ft., was developed at Great Falls, and the story of its development contains some interesting features. Ground was broken for the Great Falls works in the spring of 1891. About a year later, the concentrator was able to begin operation, followed within the next few months by the Brueckner, reverberatory, and converter departments, and in April, 1893, by the first blast fur-

Jan 7, 1913

By F. Rosenblum

An on-stream particle size analyzer (PSA) based on the sedimentation principle has been developed to the commercial prototype stage and tested at a concentrator. The current instrument gives a direct reading of the weight % finer than any two sizes, although the capability exists for providing a complete size distribution through the sieve and sub-sieve range. The readings obtained at intervals of about 10 minutes are derived from 0.5-L samples of slurry cut from the monitored stream. The accuracy of the PSA meets the requirements of process control.

Jan 1, 1984

AGGLOMERATION U.S. 4,067,727 - In the sintering of a charge of iron oxide ore, a fuel and a flux on a travelling grate machine, the dust problem is minimized by providing a plurality of cooling zones and by directing heated dust-laden air from a first cooling zone to the sintering zone wherein the dust is filtered from the air by the material being sintered. Air from a further cooling zone can be exhausted directly to the atmosphere. Dust removal in the cooling zone is improved by using a purging zone in which higher pressure air agitates the dust in the sintered material. This patent is a division of U.S. Patent No. 3,973,762, dated Aug. 10, 1976. F. Cappel, assigned to Dravo Corp. Jan. 10, 1978. 6 pp. (75-5). Filed: 4-1-76 (672,748).

Jan 1, 1979

By L. W. Kemph

The thermal expansion characteristics of aluminum alloys have been examined by several investigators, among whom may be mentioned Shakespear,' Schulz,2 Hidnert13 Hidnert and Sweeney4 and McCullough.' Shakespear compared the expansion of a series of aluminum alloys containing 14 per cent copper, with separate additions of about 1 per cent each of manganese, tin and zinc with that of pure copper. Schulz examined the expansion of aluminum and zinc and some aluminum-zinc alloys. Hidnert determined with a high degree of precision the exp:tnsion characteristics of pure aluminum, some aluminum-copper, aluminum-zinc, aluminum-silicon and some commercial alloys.' Hidnert and Sweeney examined the expansion characteristics of aluminum-beryllium alloys. McCullough, by an interferometer method, determined the expansivity of some aluminum-copper, aluminum-magnesium, aluminum-iron, aluminum-nickel, aluminum-silicon and aluminum-manganese alloys. Incidental to an investigation carried out during the past six years and leading to the development and exploit,ation of an aluminum piston alloy of relatively low thermal expansivity, the expansion characteristics of a wide variety of alloys were examined. Some of the data which might be of general interest are gathered in this paper. Experimental Procedure The apparatus used was essentially similar to those developed by the Bureau of Standards6 and Howard Scott,? with a few minor changes for expediency. The specimen was approximately 4 in. long and the differential length changes between specimen and the quartz tube were

Jan 1, 1933

By Arthur Taggart

THE following conclusions on the work of the Hardinge mill are based on data furnished to the writer by the Hardinge Conical Mill Co. in the form of the mesh cards hereto appended. Energy units (E. U.) and relative mechanical efficiencies (R. M. E.) are computed by the "volume method" of Stadler.1 Screen apertures used are the average apertures of testing screens of the meshes given. Card 122. June 28, 1912. Vipond Porcupine Mines Co., Ltd., Schumacher, Ont., Canada. Ore from mill bin. Gangue, quartz and basalt. 4.5 ft. by 13 in. ball mill. Capacity, 48 tons per 24 hr. Charge, 4,000 lb. balls. Speed, 33 rev. per minute. Horsepower, 15 to 17. Water, 100 per cent. by weight. (50 per cent. ?) Product deslimed and oversize reground-in pebble mill, see Card 113. Feed to mill through 2-in. mesh.

Jan 7, 1915

By A. F. Crawley

THIS communication reports measurements of the densities of dilute liquid alloys of 0.1 and 0.5 pct Ag in Sn over temperature ranges of 170" and 210°C, respectively, above the melting point of pure tin (232°C). The work was earried out to provide accurate density data for some liquid diffusion studies performed by Davis.1 Densities were measured using a pycnometric technique established in this laboratory. Earlier papers2, 4 attest to the accuracy of ±0.05 pct and the reliability of the method. Tin, 99.999 pct pure, and silver 99.99 pct pure, were melted in a graphite crucible in a vacuum furnace and held at temperature for 10 hr to ensure homogenization. Ingots suitable for machining

Jan 1, 1970

By William Romanoff

As you are no doubt aware, virgin copper, tin and zinc are strategic metals today and little, if any, is available in the manufacture of brass and bronze ingots. The source of alloys used in the manufacture of implements of war are, therefore, from ingots made almost exclusively from the refining of available scrap. It is amusing to hear of the unusual physical properties of various alloys because they mean nothing unless the foundryman is able to produce good sound castings. A discussion therefore means little unless something is said about the relative foundry practice of the various brass and bronze alloys. Among the factors that influence the quality of castings produced are: (I) improper gating, (2) wrong pouring temperatures, (3) poor sand conditions, (4) bad melting practice, (5) faulty pattern equipment, (6) metal. It seems to be the consensus of opinion that about 95 per cent of defective castings can be attributed to the first three causes. Metal while a source of trouble at times, is probably the least responsible for foundry difficulties. As you all know, a molder never makes a bad mold. His first thought is to blame the "damn" metal as this is the path of least resistance. Let's consider the "damn" metal and how it is made. In the manufacture of ingot, scrap is collected at various sources and is shipped to the refiner either directly or through the scrap dealer or broker. It is usually sorted, although not always. In working toward a specified chemical analysis, weighed amounts of various grades of scrap metals are melted, and then oxidized by blowing air through the molten bath to rid the metal of detrimental impurities or reduce them to within specification limits after which they are skimmed off with the aid of some added fluxes. The bath of metal is then poled with wood, chemically tested before and after additions are made to bring it up to required specifications, and finally poured into ingots, after which a final chemical and physical examination is made. As mentioned above, the impurities have either been eliminated or reduced to the point where they meet the specifications of all Government Agencies or Technical Societies. Therefore, why worry as to whether castings are to be made from strategic virgin metals or secondary ingots from available scrap. Tests have continuously been made and it is a proven fact that physical properties are no better from virgin metals than from secondary ingots of the same composition. It is definitely more fool-proof to make castings from secondary ingot than from virgin metals because if an error is made in weighing the copper, tin, lead or zinc of the latter, the analysis is off balance. If an error is made in weighing secondary ingots, you merely have more or less metal but the analysis remains constant. Furthermore, when pure copper is melted. it is susceptible to reducing gases as well as oxides. Secondary ingot is already alloyed with natural deoxidizers such as zinc, etc., and the volatilization of the latter also tends to eliminate reducing gases mechanically.

Jan 1, 1943

By Ihor A. Kunasz

Lithium minerals occur predominantly in pegmatites which contain mineral assemblages derived from the crystallization of postmagmatic fluids or from the metasomatic action by residual pegmatitic fluids. They have been the traditional sources of raw materials for ceramic and chemical industries. However, with the discovery of Searles Lake, brines became new sources of lithium. Indeed, the 1960s may well be referred to as the "brine decade" because several brine bodies of significant economic importance were discovered. In the United States, the brines of Clayton Valley, Nevada, presently exploited by Foote Mineral Co., and the Great Salt Lake of Utah, to be exploited by the Great Salt Lake Chemicals Corp., have been defined as major sources of lithium. Also a lithium-bearing brine has been discovered in Chile. Following the termination of the AEC purchase program in 1959, several companies such as Maywood Chemical Co., American Lithium Chemicals, and Quebec Lithium Corp. were forced to close down their operations. Nevertheless, with the development of new applications in glass ceramics, air conditioning systems, synthetic rubber, and metallurgy (aluminum potlines), the lithium industry grew steadily, and with the potential application of lithium metal in batteries and nuclear reactors, a healthy growth can be foreseen. New products and new applications are likely to stimulate exploration for expanded reserves as well as the search for new sources from which lithium could be extracted economically. Geochemistry of Lithium Lithium is the third element in the periodic table. It is the lightest of all the metals, having an atomic weight of 6.938. Its ionic radius is 0.60A and its charge is + 1. The geochemistry of lithium has been extensively studied and has been summarized by Rankama and Sahama (1950), Goldschmidt (1937), and Hortsman (1957). The distribution of lithium in igneous rocks is controlled by its size and its charge, and by the (MgO+FeO)/Li2O ratio. In the early stages of crystallization of a magma, that ratio is very large. Consequently, both magnesium and iron are removed by ferromagnesian minerals in preference to lithium which is then concentrated in the residual magma. This results in an enrichment of lithium in silicic rocks and pegmatites (Strock, 1936). Pegmatites are coarse-grained igneous rocks formed by the crystallization of postmagmatic fluids. Minerals within pegmatites may also form by metasomatism (Jahns. 1955). Genetically, the pegmatites are associated kith neigh- boring intrusives. Mineralogically, granitic pegmatites contain feldspar, quartz, and mica as the main constituents and a variety of exotic elements such as lithium, beryllium, tantalum, tin, and cesium, which may or may not occur in economically significant concentrations. Detailed studies by numerous investigators (Cameron et al., 1949, 1954; Hanley et al., 1950; Jahns, 1953, 1955; Page et al., 1953) indicate that pegmatites often exhibit an internal zonal arrangement, with each zone containing a specific suite of minerals. The lithium minerals are usually found in the intermediate zones, and although as many as 13 zones have been recognized by Cameron, a complete zonal arrangement is rarely found. Zoning of pegmatite bodies has also been observed on a regional basis. The regionally zoned pegmatite sequences exhibit mineral assemblages and complexity according to their respective distance from the granitic bodies to which they are genetically related (Mulligan, 1965). Lithium is also found in small proportions in a variety of rocks. The average lithium

Jan 1, 1975